Electric signaling system



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet ('3. A. ROLFE.

' ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM. No. 544,123. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

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O.A.ROLPE.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM. No. 544,123. Patented Aug. 6, 1895.

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CHARLES A. ROLFE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,123, dated August6, 1895.

Application filed January 8, l 8 95.

nois, have invented a certain new and useful.

Improvement in Electric Signaling Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to electric signaling systems comprising asignal-transmitting mechanism from which signals are sent over a mainline to a main or central station and an auxiliary or house circuitincluding means for liberating the signal-transmitting mechanism, sothat the latter, which is normally wound up, may, when thus released,run down, and while so doing transmit signals over the main line.

In an electric signaling system characterized by my invention theauxiliary circuit also includes one of the windings of a differentialrelay, and in conjunction therewith I provide a circuit which I term abalancingcircuit, and which includes the other winding of said relay.The balancing-circuit and the auxiliary circuit both include a batteryfrom which the current divides between the auxiliary and balancingcircuits and passes through the windings of the differential relay inopposite directions. The balancingcircuit also includes a rheostat whichcan be adjusted so as to cause the current to be divided equally betweenthe two circuits. By this arrangement one circuit can-be made to balancethe other, and as the battery is constantly on both circuits suchbalance will be maintained so long as thecircuits remain intact. Should,however, either one of the linesforming such circuits become broken, orshould a'resistance beadded to either line: for example, by a crossingwire-the balance will then be destroyed, and hence therelay will nolonger remain neutral but will attract its armature. In connection withthe differential relay I provide an alarm which will operate when thearmature is attracted and actuated by the relay-magnet, thereby givingnotice of the fact that the system is out of order.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a system embodyingmy'invention, and also illustratesa portion of a building. Fig. 2 showsa signal-transmitting mechanism sea; no. 534,213. (No model.)

in elevation. Fig. 3 is a like view of one of a series ofmagneto-generators preferably employed.

The street-box A contains a signal-transmitting mechanism from whichsignals are sent over the main line A, and a magnetoreleasing device forliberating the signaltransmitting mechanism. The signal-transmittingmechanism and magneto-releasing device shown in Fig. 2' correspond withthe signal-transmitting mechanism and magnetoreleasing device embodiedin Letters Patent of the United States No. 534,671, grantedto meFebruary 6, 1895. The magneto-releasing device is included in the houseor auxiliary circuit 1, and said circuit further includes a local orhouse alarm B and one or more magneto-generators O, as in my saidpatent, it being also understood that the alarm .B, as shown, isidentical in arrangement with the alarm shown in my said patent, andthat the switch therein included is simply for the purpose of opening orclosing the local-alarm circuit, whereby the ringing of the bell can bestopped when so desired, and hence that further description of detailsappears unnecessary. The auxiliary circuit 1 further includes one of thewindings of a differential relay D, and it further includes a constantbattery E, which latter, as in my said patent, serves to maintain thealarm B inoperative so long as the auxiliary circuit 1 is closed. Theother winding of the differential relay is included in a circuit 2,which I prefer designating as the balancing-circuit. Thisbalancing-circuit 2 further includes a rheostat F and the battery E.Therheostat F isjadjusted, and the lines or wires of circuits l and 2are arranged so that the current flowing from battery E, as indicated byICC which includes a battery G and an alarm H. The circuit 5 is normallyopen, and it so remains as long as armature 3 is in its back position,as shown. By properly adjusting the rheostat the current from battery Ewill be divided equally between circuits 1 and 2, and hence one willbalance the other. Should, however, such balance be destroyed, either byabreak in either circuit or by the accidental putting in of aresistance, or by cutting out any portion of the resistance, the neutralcondition of the relay will be destroyed, and a current passing throughone or the other, as the case may be, of the windings of the relay, willenergize the magnet thereof and cause it to attract its armature 3; andthereupon said armature will close upon contactpoint (i of circuit 5,and thereby close said circuit. This will cause alarm H to sound, itbeing seen that under such conditions the said closed circuit willinclude and be completed by the armature of the relay.

The magnetic releasing device illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises anelectromagnet 7 and an armature 8 which is normally held away from themagnet by a spring 9. Battery E has not sufficient strength to energizemagnet 7 to an extent to cause it to operate the armature. Said batteryis, however, sulficient to maintain the alarm B inactive so long asauxiliary circuit 1 is closed. W hen, however, any one of themagneto-generators C is operated an impulse of high electromotive forcewill be sent over the circuit and this will energize the magnet to anextent to cause it to attract and operate the armature, which latterwhen thus operated will move a dog or latch 10 and thereby release thesignal-transmitting mechanism. Said signal-transmitting mechanismincludes a make-and-break device I for alternately making and breakingthe auxiliary circuit while the signal-transmitting mechanism is runningdown, whereby during such operation the signal transmitting mechanismwhile sending signals over main line A to the main or central stationwill also repeat back to the alarm B. Should the battery E give out orbecome broken the alarm B will sound and alarm H will remain inactive.In this wayI provide for all contingencies and greatly improve thesystem described in my said patent. Further details of thesignal-transmitting mechanism and the magneto-generators 0 need not bedescribed, since any other known or desired construction of such devicesadapted for service in the system herein embodied can be employed,though I prefer to use constructions illustrated and described in mypatent aforesaid.

The local or house alarm B can be of varied construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the principle involved beingillustrated by the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. In said arrangement thearmature 11, allotted to magnet 11, is provided with a clapper 12 forringing the bell 13. This bellmagnet 11 is included in the aforesaidnormally-closed auxiliary circuit indicated by lines or wires 1 and isnormally energized to an extent to hold the armature closed. Saidarmature is also comprised within a normallyopen circuit indicated bylines or wires 15 and including the local bell-battery 16. So long ascircuit 1 is closed the alarm 13 will be silent. lVhen, however, saidcircuit is open the bell of the alarm B will be rung. Thus when armature11 is released, as the result of a break in circuit 1, the magnet 11will be de-energized and will release the armature 11, and hence so longas said circuit remains open the armature will be free to operate forthe purpose of ringing the bell in accordance with the way in whichelectric alarm-bells are usually sounded. The releasement of thearmature permits its spring to throw it into contact with a back-stop 17in circuit 15. Such contact closes the circuit 15, which includes themagnet 11 and the battery 16, and hence the magnet will then be suppliedfrom said battery for the purpose of operating the armature. The localalarm also comprises a switch G, arranged in the circuit 15, whereby theringing of the bell can be stopped, although the circuit 1 may be open.

The auxiliary circuit 1, including the magnet 7 of the signal-box, themagneto generator or generators, the alarm-magnet, and the localbattery, is normally closed. The current over such circuit is suitablefor maintaining the local alarm inactive, but it is not of sufficientstrength to release the signal-transmitting mechanism, and hence,although it will energize the magnet 7, it will not energize the same toan extent to cause it to draw said armature against thespring-resistance. A slight operation, however, of any one of themagneto-generators will send-over the line or circuit 1 a quick impulseof high electromotive force, and this, in supplementing the energyderived from the local battery E, which is constantly included in saidcircuit, will energize magnet 7 to an extent to cause the releasement ofthe signattransmitting mechanism. Upon such release of thesignal-transmitting mechanism it will automatically start up and sendsignals over the main line as usual, and while so doing will, by reasonof the make-and-break device I hereinbefore described, repeat back tothe local alarm B, so as to notify the occupant of a house who may haveoperated the magneto-generator as aforesaid of the fact that thestreet-box is at work, it being observed that the make-and-break periodsare suiiiciently slow to permit the bell to thus sound.

A ring on the part of the alarm in circuit 5 will not be objectionable,and, to the contrary, it will give evidence of the fact that it is inorder.

The alarm-bell at B will be operated precisely as set forth in my saidpatent. Should battery E break the alarm-bell at B will ring and giveevidence of such fact, but the bell at H will not sound, since nocurrent will then pass over the relay-coils. If the main line becomesbrokenboth bells will ring, but should a resistance be thrown in ortaken out of the line the relay-bell at H will respond, but the bell atB will not necessarily respond. The important functions of the bell at Bare therefore to take care of the battery E and to respond when thesignal-transmitting mechanism is operated, while, on the other hand,thebell at H can be so sensitive as to respond to and announce anyvariation in the resistance of the main line.

What I claim as my invention is An electric signaling system comprisinga signal transmitting mechanism from which alarm signals are transmittedover the main line; an auxiliary circuit including means for Witnesses:

- CHARLES G. PAGE, BETA M. WAGNER.

